Tool for depositing rodent poison underground

ABSTRACT

A tool for depositing a charge of granular material such as poison below the ground surface comprising an upright tubular barrel having an outlet opening at its bottom end, a valve rod extending axially through the barrel with its pointed lower end projecting through and closing the outlet opening, spring means acting between the barrel and rod to yieldably retain the rod in closed position in the outlet opening, handles on the barrel and rod to permit movement of the rod against the spring means to a position opening the outlet opening so that granular material may discharge from the barrel. The tool also has a valve means for limiting the amount of material that may be discharged each time the device is operated.

Christopherson .1

United States Patent -111 3,815,526 451 June11, 1974 TOOL FOR DEPOSITING RODENT POISON UNDERGROUND [75] Inventor: Levon Christopher son, Minneapolis.'

Minn.

[73] Assignee: Diane Christopherson, Minneapolis, I

Minn.

[22] Filed: May 18, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 254,731

52 us. or. Ill/7.2, 111/96 [51] lnt.Cl. A0lc 23/02 [58] Field of Search Ill/96, 95, 99, 7.l7;4'

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,689. 2/1922- Batterson lll/96X- 1,624,033 4/1927 Barnard 1,720,601 7/1929 Kalenoff... 3,659,536 5/1972 White Ill/7.1

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l6,645 l/l903 Sweden Ill/96 Primary Examirien-Stephen C. Pellegrino Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Carlsen, Carlsen & Sturm 57 ABSTRACT A tool for depositing acharge of granular material such as poison below the ground surface comprising an upright tubular barrel having an outlet opening at its bottom end, a valve rod extending axially through the barrel with its pointed lower end projecting through and closing the outlet opening, spring means acting between the barrel and rod to yieldably retain the rod in closed position in the outlet opening, handles on the barrel and rod to permit movement of the rod against the spring means to a position opening the outlet opening so that granular material may discharge from the barrel. Thetool also has a valve means for ,limiting the amount of material that may be disi charged each time the device is operated.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary objectof the present invention is to proment between open and closed positions with respect to a discharge outletat the bottom of the barrel, spring means yieldably retaining the valve rod in closed position, and a handle on the valve rod for moving it to an open position, a chamber in the bottom of the barrel 2' I having an internally threaded neck 24 is mounted on the upper end of barrel 11..

An elongated valve rod denoted generally at 25 is disposed axially within barrel 11.'This rod has a cross handle 26 mounted on its upper end provided with a pair of hand grips 27. The lower end of rod 25 is pointedas at 28 so that the point can project through and close I the outlet port 20 at the lower end of barrel 11. A stop collar 29 is provided on rod 25 near its upper end.

A barrel cap 30 encircles rod 25 and has a central portion 31 which extends downwardly and is .extemally threaded for screw threading engagement with neck 24. An open spiral spring 32 is held under compression between the cap 30 and collar 29. Accordingly, the rod 25 is yieldably retained in a downward or lowered position-with barrel 11 with handle 26 resting against cap 30 as shown in FIG. 1. Also when the device is in this condition, which may be referred to as the closed condition, the rod portion 28. is seated in the outlet port 20 of the barrel.

An elongated recess 34 is provided in one side of the rod 25 with the longitudinal center of the recess being spaced from rod portion 28 substantially the same distance as grooves 21 are spaced from outlet port 20.

Operation of the device will now be understood. Valve rod 25 is removed from the barrel by unthreading cap 30 from collar 22. With port 20 being held against the surface of ground Gthe barrel 31 is filled with a premeasured amount of granular material M such as rodent poison. Rod 25 is then inserted downwardly into the barrel until. point 28 closes outlet port 20 and cap 30 is threaded into collar 22. When the device is in this condition the recess 34 is disposed within the valve port formed by grooves 21. Accordingly, ma-

. teri'al M may freely pass downwardly through port 21 for holding a predetermined amount of the material,

and valve means coacting between the valve rod and barrel to open said chamber to the upper part of the barrel when the valve rod is closed and close said chamber from the upper part of the barrel when the valve rod is in open position.-

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the tool insertedinto the ground and in closed condition.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the tool in open or discharging condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT interior thereof forming a chamber 15 for holding a supply of granular material M such as rodent poison.

The medial portion 16 of barrel 11 tapers downwardly to a reduced ground penetrating portion 17, the lower end-of which is bent inwardly throughout its circumference as at 18 to form an outlet port 20. A pair of longitudinally spaced grooves 21 are formed medially on barrel portion 17 providing a constriction which forms a valve port as will be shortly explained. A collar 22 to fill the chamber 35 formed within the lower portion of barrel 11. Of course, this chamber has already been filled for the first charge with the initial loading of the barrel.

With the device loaded and in the closed conditon of FIG. 1 the operator with both hands on the grips, 27 of handle 26 forces the lower end of the device downwardly into the ground G to the position shown. Pointed tip 28 facilitates the penetration. The operator then moves one hand to handle 12 and with the other hand on handle 26 pulls that handle upwardlyraising seated from outlet port 20 allowing the material M disposed within the chamber 35 to discharge downwardly through said port and into the opening which has been formed by the lower portion of the tool or into the burrow or tunnel when the device is so used.

When the handle 26 is released the rod 25 will return to its closed condition and material from above grooves 21 will flow down into and refill chamber 35 with the next charge.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tool for injecting a charge of granular material such as rodent poison into the ground comprising,

a. an elongated upright tubular barrel having the lower end thereof bent inwardly throughout the circumference to form a restricted outlet at the,

lower end of the barrel,

Y b. an elongated valve rod disposed axially within the barrel and having a pointed lower end adapted to seat downwardly in said outlet in a closed position and project partially therethrough whereby said pointed lower end and the lower end of the barrel may be jointly forced into the ground,

c. spring means acting between the rod and barrel to yieldably retain the pointed end of the rod in said closed position,

d. handles on the rod and barrel for manually moving the rod upwardly to an open position with respect to the outlet whereby material in the barrel may open position. 

1. In a tool for injecting a charge of granular material such as rodent poison into the ground comprising, a. an elongated upright tubular barrel having the lower end thereof bent inwardly throughout the circumference to form a restricted outlet at the lower end of the barrel, b. an elongated valve rod disposed axially within the barrel and having a pointed lower end adapted to seat downwardly in said outlet in a closed position and project partially therethrough whereby said pointed lower end and the lower end of the barrel may be jointly forced into the ground, c. spring means acting between the rod and barrel to yieldably retain the pointed end of the rod in said closed positioN, d. handles on the rod and barrel for manually moving the rod upwardly to an open position with respect to the outlet whereby material in the barrel may discharge through the outlet, e. the valve rod being provided with a recess in one side thereof spaced above said pointed lower end, and f. the barrel being provided with a constriction to form a valve port encircling the rod adjacent said recess when the rod is in closed position allowing granular material to pass through said port but with the rod closing said port when it is moved to an open position. 